Plastic seal machine



' June 8, 1954 E, R, LEVY 2,680,549

PLASTIC SEAL MACHINE Filed May 26, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .gk u) H JNVENToR. EYELE E. LEVY By 5 W1 Wwe A TTG/ENE YS June 8, 1954 E R LEVY 2,680,549

PLASTIC SEAL MACHINE Filed May 26, 1951 2 Sheets-Shea. 2

IEZIE- z s: v i 4,

INVENTOR.

.EY/QLE E LEVY TTORNEY Patented June 8, 1954 UNITED l sTATEs PATENT oFFlcE .......imm

-Eyrle Robert Levy, San Francisco, Calif. Application May ze, 1951, serai No. ,mms

' (ci. zzo-ao) l Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for applying bands to the neck and cap of a bottle or other similar container.

Bands or sleeves of regenerated cellulose are frequently applied to bottle tops to improve the appearanec of the bottle, to identify the manufacturer of the product and to make it diillcult to tamper with the contents of the bottle. The

j use of a regenerated cellulose band for this pur- II near its bottom,4 said slot being of such dimensions that only one folded band at a time may be passed through it. The folded cellulose bands I3 are placed in magazine II-so that an open end of each band rfaces slot I5. A slide I1 is mounted at the bottom of magazine II and is adapted to slide in guides I9 at the bottom of the magazine and carried toward the opening mechanism vents the top of the bottle from being removed unless the band is destroyed.

The application of such bands to bottles may be done either byhand or machine, but the machines which have heretofore been suggested are large, expensive and cumbersome so that small manufacturers cannot ordinarily afford such machines and must perform the banding operation by hand. This is a slow and time-consuming process.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine for automatically placing regenerated cellulose bands over the necks ofbottles.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a machine which has relatively few moving parts, which is inexpensive to manufacture and which can Ibe used economically by relatively small bottlers.

It is another object of this invention to provide a machine which is fully automatic in its opera-- tive view of a band applying machine and Figure 2 is a front elevation view, partly in cross section of the rotor and its accessory equipment which has been designated 1 in Figure l.

Referring now to the drawings by reference l characters, there isv shown in Iiigure l a conveyor 3 for moving filled and stoppered bottles 5 into the band applying position of my machine. Mounted over conveyor 3 is the actual band applying mechanism which has been designatedgenerally 1, which has in association therewith a further mechanismfor supplying individual and opened bands which have been designated generally 9.

The band delivering and opening mechanism 9 consists of a magazine II whichis of suitable size to receive a number of folded bands of regenerated cellulose I3. vMagazine Il has a slot the band receiving member. The outer diameter which has been designated generally 21. To prevent slippage, chain 29 may be provided with cross members 26.y The opening mechanism 21 has a prime mover 29 which drives roller '3i and the endless chain 29. Roller 3| is preferably knurled or milled with a series of ridges, as illustrated, so that it will grip the cellulose bands firmly. Mounted over` the roller 3`| and in a close proximity thereto is a drag roller 33. Roller 33 is made oi' rubber or other suitable substance which exerts a gripping or braking effect on the cellulose bands. Roller 33 is either iixed in place or provided with bearings having considerable friction so that it turns with diiculty. As a band is conveyed by chain 29 it is gripped between rollers 3| and 33; the bottom surface of the band is urged forward by roller 3| while the top surface of the band is retarded by roller 33. This causes the band to slip upon itself and open up as is shown by the band designated 35 in the drawing.

The rotor which has been designated generally 1 is mounted for rotation on a bearing 31, its direction of rotation being counter-clockwise in both figures. The rotor 1 has a plurality of arms or spokes 39, suitably four in number, and each spoke has a circular radial hole therein, the diameter of the hole being relatively small near the center of the rotor, substantially larger for an intermediate distance and still-somewhat larger at the periphery, as shown. Mounted in each of the peripheral holes of the rotor are sleeve members 4 I Each sleeve 4I has an annular collar 43 which extends beyond the rim of rotor 1', as shown. Each sleeve 4I is held in the retracted position with its collar I3 against the rim of rotor 1 by means of two springs 43. Fitting within sleeve 4I is a tubular band receiving member 41. The band receiving member 41 is fixed in place inthe rotor 1 at the end near the axis of the rotor, but there is sutlicient clearance between member 41 and sleeve 43 to permit sleeve 43 to slide freely over of the band receiving member 41 is suchthatitwill receive a band snugly, at its largestspoint. The portion of receiving member 41 which extends beyond rotor 1 is tapered, as is shown at 49, so that aband may be readily slid over member 41. Member 41 is hollow and has an annular abut'- ment 50. Slidably mountedwithin the band receiving member 41 is a prong 5| which terminates at its outer end in tip 53, which is adapted to engage the open portion of a band and is substantially .smaller in diameter than an expanded band so that the band can be engaged by the tip 53 when-only p artially opened. The lower portion of prong 5i has an annular abutment 55,

` which isradapted to engage against abutment l preventing the prong from being completely withdrawn from the band receiving member 41. The shoulder between the body of prong I and its tip 53 is suitably curved so that when the prong is in the extended position, the taper 49 of band receiving member-'41 and the extended portion of prong 5i form a matching, smooth surface. Attached to the prong 5| is a shaft 51 whichserves to guide the movement of the prong. Mounted over shaft 51 isa spring I9, which tends to keep the prong in an extended position. Mounted within rotor 1 is a detent member 9| which is slidprong 5l is in the upright position. At this point it is apparent that the tip l: of prong Il will hold the band loosely. At this time, rod 15 moves downward and the action of arm 11 forces the band from its loosely held position on the tip of prong 5| into a snug position around band receiving member 41, as is shown at 9| in Figure 2. At the same time that arm 11 is forcing band 8l onto the band receiving member 41, it also contacts the tip 53 of the prong 5l, pushing it downward so that detent Si is brought into engagement with recess 69, again `locking the prong 5I into the retracted position. Rotor 1- is then rotated 180 so thatthe band receiving member 41 winch hasa band 8l thereon faces downward. In the meantime, the conveyor 9 has advanced \\the bottles 5 which are to be banded, so that one able for movement in a slot 53. Detent 9| is limited in its movement by the depth of slot 53 1 so that it cannot go beyond the center of the hole 95 through which shaft 51 slides. Detent BI is held in its extended position by a spring 91, and the edge of detent 5l, which faces shaft 51, is tapered as is shown. The end of shaft 51 is pointed and is provided near the point with an annular recess 59. Thus, when some force pushes prong 5I into the retracted position, the pointed end of shaft 51 pushes detent 9| to one side so that it cannot engage in recess 85., Prong 5I is then locked in a retracted position and cannot be extended until detent 8| has been moved sunlciently to clear recess 69.

To move detent 6l at the proper time and to extend the prong 5|, therel is provided a rotating tripping member 1I mounted on a shaft 13. When member 1| is rotated 90 in a clockwise direction, it moves detent 5I upwardly clearing recess 69 and permitting the spring 59 to bring the prong 5I into the extended position.

For the purpose of pushing the open bands onto the band receiving member and also pushing the bands vfrom the band receiving member onto the neck of a bottle, rod 15 is provided which has attached thereto two arms 11 and 19. Rod 15 is adapted for vertical reciprocationin the manner hereinafter described. Arm 11 is of sufficient length and breadth to substantially cover a band 8| placed on the band receiving member 41. Arm 19 is shorter and isadapted to engage the collar 43 on sleeve 4I.

The over-all operation of the device is as follows: Air, from a source .not shown, is forced l through une 2s into cylinder u actuating slide n,

which pushes a single folded band from the magazine Il onto the endless chain 29. The endless chain 29 carries the bandl to the` opening mechaof the bottles, designated 5a, is directly under the band receiving member 41. j Rod 15 then moves downward causing arm' 19 to engage collar 43 and to force the band 9| from the band receiving member 61 onto the neck of the bottle 5a, as is shown atV 83. As the arm 15 is raised,.the springs urge the sleeve 4l back into a retracted position so that all partsare in position for a repetition of the cycle upon the rotation of rotor 1 through 90.

Although only a single operation has been described at each position of the rotor, it is obvious that other operations are being conducted simultaneously at the other stations. For instance, a single movement of rod 15 downward not only pushes a band onto a bottle, but also pushes another band onto the band receiving member and resets the prong.

I claim:

l. In a band applying machine having means for opening and supplying a single band,` a rotor having a plurality of arms, each of said arms having a circular radial opening therein, a movable sleeve having a collar thereon said sleeve fitting into said circular opening and limitedin its inward movement by the collar, a fixed band receiving member within said sleeve and concentric thereto, and an extendable prong concentric with and inside said band receiving member,

nism 21 where it is opened by thecombined action of roller 3| and 33 as heretofore described. As soon as the band 35 is atleast partially open. the member 1|' is rotated 90, as is shown in dotted lines at 11a, tripping detent 6| and allowing prong Il to go from `the retracted to the extended position, whereupon the tip 53 of prong 5I engages the open portion of the band l5. Rotor 1 is then rotated through 90 counter-clockwise s0 that means for extending said prong to engage and receive a partially opened band, means for pushing said partially opened band from said prong onto the band receiving member, and means for extending said sleeve whereby a band on the band receiving member is moved off of` the band receiving member and onto the neck of a bottle.

2. A machine for applying a contractable ringlike band to the neck of a bottle comprising a magazine for holding a supply of folded bands, means for removing a single band from the magazine and opening said band, a rotatable annular member having a radial opening therein, an extendable prong slidably mounted in said radial opening said prong being adapted to be extended into a waiting band, a band receiving member concentric with said prong, said band receiving member being fixed in said radial opening, means for pushing a band from the prong to the band receiving member, and a concentric collar fitting over said band receiving member and adapted to slide along the band receiving member and to push the band from the band receiving member onto the neck of a bottle.

3. A machine for applying a contractable ringlike band to the neck of a bottle comprising a magazine for holding a supply oi. folded bands, a slide operable in said magazine to push a single band from the magazine, a conveyor adapted to receive a, folded band, two rollers at the discharge end of said conveyor on axes at right angles thereto, one of said rollers being placed above and the other roller being placed below the normal path of travel of said conveyor, one of said rollers being driven and serving to convey the band between said rollers and the other roller being anv idler roller adapted to retard the opposite side of a band, whereby a band is opened, a rotatably mounted annular member having a radial opening therein, an extendable prong supported in said opening, said extendable prong being adapted to receive an open band, a band receiving member concentric with said prong, means vfor pushing an open band from the prong to the band receiving member, and a collar tting over said band receiving member and adapted to slide over the band receiving member and to push the band therefrom and onto the neck of a bottle.

4. In a-band ,applying machine having means for opening and supplyingr a single band, a rotor having a plurality of arms, each of said arms having a circular radial opening therein, a movable sleeve having a collar thereon said sleeve fitting vinto said circular radial opening and limited in its inward movement by the collar, a fixed band vreceiving member inside of said sleeve and oo n- .centric therewith and a movable prong concentric with said sleeve -andjsaid band receiving member, said prOng being located inside said band receiving member and concentric therewith, and

10 lower rollers mounted at right angles to said conbeing adapted to receive a partially open band',

means for retracting said prong and pushing an open band onto said band receiving member, said v veyor and adjacent to the discharge end thereof, the upper roller being located just above the path of travel of said conveyor and the lower roller being located below the path of said conveyor, said upper roller being an idler roller and adapted to retard one s ide of a band and said lower roller being a driven roller tending to propel the opposite side of lsaid band whereby the band is opened.

References -Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 908,457 Fallon, Jr Jan. 5, 1909 977,632 Hoyt Dec. 6, 1910 1,034,070 Brown July 30, 1912 1,040,615 Brown Oct. 8, 1912 1,909,050 Ferguson- May 16, 1933 2,036,105 Strout Mar. 3l, 1936 2,068,107 Nygard Jan. 19, 1937 2,539,427 Jakob Jan. 30, 1951 2,579,458 l Allen et al Dec. 25, 1951 

